Money Makes The World Go Round?

School Attendance Game Report (9 July): Joseph and Faith are still doing well by attending school. I’m so disappointed that Caleb (again?) and Sheena has skipped school today. One black mark for both Caleb and Sheena.

Information about the game here.

I’ve a feeling this is going to be a long post because I’m going to talk about some sensitive issue here. I’m going to talk about how the first President of Singapore, Yusof bin Ishak is affecting me.

I mean, he’s everywhere and in all sorts of colours. Purple, Green, Red and many more! For those of you who still don’t get it, I’m talking about money here. I just started work recently because I need to have an income for myself. Take note that I said need, and not want – there’s a big difference.

My father haven’t been giving me pocket money for as long as I could remember. What I earned is what I spend. I have to pay for my own phone and Internet bill. I try as much as possible not to take money from my father because I know he is not earning enough to cover for the whole household.

Because there was a period of time where I was not working, I finished spending all my money and I was left with no choice but to take from him (I only started work recently, and they only pay monthly). I absolutely hate the feeling of taking money from him! I limit myself to taking $5 from him a day for my lunch and dinner.

For the past few days, I’ve to ask for more because I need to buy books for my new school semester. I’ve to ask for more because I need it for my transport which is expensive as I’ve to take 4 trips a day to and from school – and that excludes transport for going to work. I cannot shrink myself to 0.9metre tall to enjoy the free rides on transport.

$5 is just enough for my meals. I don’t get to have anymore extra to save up and buy things that I want. Sometimes it isn’t enough to get me by. Food prices over at my workplace area (City Hall) isn’t cheap. It’s so expensive that I have no choice but to skip dinner when I’m working.

Today, some incident happened that made me decide to write this post. This is the only place where I can share, reflect and look back. Few years down the road, when I happen to read this post again, it might make me think back.

I asked my father for money again today. I always have this uneasy feeling whenever I asked money from him. Here’s the conversation that follows,

Joseph: Pa, I need money for tomorrow.
Dad: How much you need to spend a day?
Joseph: $5.
Dad: Why so much? You ask your sister how much I give her a day!
[My father passed me $4]
Joseph: $4 is not enough!
Dad: YOU NEED SO MUCH FOR WHAT?
Joseph: NEVER MIND, FORGET IT!

Yeah, I blew my top with my father – because of money. Look at the power of money have on us, it can really tear a family apart. For the past year, I have not been taking money from him and when I asked for a mere $1 extra, he raised his voice.

I’m not trying to make my father look like the bad guy here. He has his own difficulty too. I just find it hard to communicate with him. Even though I’m working now, what I have is just a part time job which I only work for a few days per week – and how much can I earn working that mere few hours a day?

Yeah, I earn peanuts! Everything needs money. Transport, food, books, school fees, phone and Internet bill. I can cut down on going out, movies, games, clothes and entertainment but you can’t totally take it all away from me because I’m still a growing teenager after all!

I’m thankful for my aunty, grandmother and some others who’ve been helping me in one way or another though. I don’t want to repeat what I did last year. To get so affected by issues, I lost interest in my studies and left school to work for one whole year.

I think it’ll be good for me to end my complaints here and get to sleep. I won’t want to wake up late for school tomorrow. I’ve my 100% attendance to aim for. Besides, I’ve to work too! I need all the rest I can get.